First the technical issue: I am testing VMWare Fusion on an iMac with the following configuration:
Hardware Overview:
Machine Name: iMac
Machine Model: iMac5,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Boot ROM Version: IM51.0090.B03
SMC Version: 1.9f4
Serial Number: YD7020ETVUV
System Software Overview:
System Version: Mac OS X 10.4.9 (8P2137)
Kernel Version: Darwin 8.9.1
Boot Volume: Greg's HD
Computer Name: Gregory Glockner’s Computer
User Name: Gregory Glockner (greg)
I have some experience with VMWare Workstation and VMWare Server on Windows, though I am relatively new to Mac. When I first install VMWare Fusion build 41385, OS X would give a kernel panic before a Virtual Machine is loaded. I followed the advice on the discussion forum to disable IPv6, which helped for a while, but eventually OS X would give a kernel panic. What's even more troubling is that after the first kernel panic, the machine keeps causing kernel panics upon login to OS X. The only way to fix this is to boot into safe mode and uninstall VMWare Fusion.
Here is an example of the logs from the kernel panic.
\*********
Fri Mar 30 01:13:20 2007
panic(cpu 1 caller 0x0035C30A): mbuf address out of range 0x77202b20
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x25113bb8 : 0x128d08 (0x3cb134 0x25113bdc 0x131de5 0x0)
0x25113bf8 : 0x35c30a (0x3eb8f4 0x77202b20 0x0 0x34baba)
0x25113c18 : 0x35c6aa (0x36ef8100 0x3be4b7d4 0x6 0x4b76d00)
0x25113c38 : 0x3be447e3 (0x36ef8100 0x4b76d40 0x4b76d46 0x43)
0x25113c98 : 0x3be44058 (0x4b76d00 0x36ef8100 0x25113cbc 0x33683e)
0x25113cd8 : 0x3be44850 (0x4b66838 0x36ef8100 0x3360a1 0x33671d)
0x25113cf8 : 0x3360c6 (0x4b55900 0x36ef8100 0x0 0x36ef8100)
0x25113d38 : 0x361033 (0x3ec0ee8 0x0 0x36ef8100 0x0)
0x25113dd8 : 0x35342d (0x3ec0ee8 0x0 0x25113e9c 0x36ef8100)
0x25113e08 : 0x34f370 (0x4554bb0 0x25113e9c 0x490cf04 0x0)
0x25113ef8 : 0x34f604 (0x4a7c3e8 0x4554bb0 0x3 0x18014ae)
0x25113f58 : 0x379e23 (0x4a7c3e8 0x4a8e280 0x4a8e2c4 0x0)
0x25113fc8 : 0x19b17e (0x4a88d20 0x0 0x19e0b5 0x403ea2c) No mapping exists for frame pointer
Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0xbffff1e8
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.vmware.kext.vmnet(1.0.0d1)@0x3be42000
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.9.1: Thu Feb 22 20:55:00 PST 2007; root:xnu-792.18.15~1/RELEASE_I386
\*********
Fri Mar 30 01:14:42 2007
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001A429B): Unresolved kernel trap (CPU 0, Type 14=page fault), registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x370e7000, CR3: 0x00dcf000, CR4: 0x000006e0
EAX: 0x36e6f000, EBX: 0x36fada00, ECX: 0x00000200, EDX: 0x00001000
CR2: 0x370e7000, EBP: 0x252d3e58, ESI: 0x36e6f800, EDI: 0x370e7000
EFL: 0x00010206, EIP: 0x0019637c, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x03920010
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x252d3c08 : 0x128d08 (0x3cb134 0x252d3c2c 0x131de5 0x0)
0x252d3c48 : 0x1a429b (0x3d0e4c 0x0 0xe 0x3d0670)
0x252d3d58 : 0x19ada4 (0x252d3d70 0x3927d74 0x252d3db8 0x197c2c)
0x252d3e58 : 0x34b981 (0x36e04e00 0x1 0x4b0c9c 0x199ef1)
0x252d3e78 : 0x51921626 (0x36e04e00 0x1 0x252d3ee8 0x134b11)
0x252d3f08 : 0x51921a0e (0x36e04e00 0x0 0x0 0x36e6f000)
0x252d3f48 : 0x203bd7 (0x3e8ed80 0x4014804 0x2 0x252d3fa4)
0x252d3f98 : 0x203dba (0x4014804 0x36e04e00 0x36e6f000 0x1)
0x252d3fc8 : 0x19ac1c (0x0 0x0 0x19e0b5 0x3a81c80) Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0x0
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.vmware.kext.vmnet(1.0.0d1)@0x5191e000
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.9.1: Thu Feb 22 20:55:00 PST 2007; root:xnu-792.18.15~1/RELEASE_I386
\*********
Fri Mar 30 01:16:13 2007
panic(cpu 0 caller 0x001A429B): Unresolved kernel trap (CPU 0, Type 14=page fault), registers:
CR0: 0x8001003b, CR2: 0x0000000c, CR3: 0x00dcf000, CR4: 0x000006e0
EAX: 0x00000000, EBX: 0x237e1000, ECX: 0x237e10b0, EDX: 0x00000000
CR2: 0x0000000c, EBP: 0x252abe98, ESI: 0x006ff692, EDI: 0x0000797d
EFL: 0x00010202, EIP: 0x009ff104, CS: 0x00000008, DS: 0x36f80010
Backtrace, Format - Frame : Return Address (4 potential args on stack)
0x252abaf8 : 0x128d08 (0x3cb134 0x252abb1c 0x131de5 0x0)
0x252abb38 : 0x1a429b (0x3d0e4c 0x0 0xe 0x3d0670)
0x252abc48 : 0x19ada4 (0x252abc60 0x206 0x0 0x36f8bc00)
0x252abe98 : 0x9f9785 (0x237e1000 0x3a61080 0x40000000 0x1a3010)
0x252abf08 : 0x39a463 (0x237e1000 0x3a61080 0x1 0x3920364)
0x252abf58 : 0x399635 (0x3a61080 0x3a523d8 0x252abf78 0x4b0038)
0x252abf88 : 0x39936b (0x3a1a7c0 0x1d2718 0x452bc4 0xffffffff)
0x252abfc8 : 0x19ac1c (0x3a1a7c0 0x0 0x19e0b5 0x3a8dae0) Backtrace terminated-invalid frame pointer 0x0
Kernel loadable modules in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.iokit.AppleYukon(1.0.11b2)@0x9f3000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(1.5.1)@0x6f8000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.2)@0x57f000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOACPIFamily(1.2.0)@0x672000
Kernel version:
Darwin Kernel Version 8.9.1: Thu Feb 22 20:55:00 PST 2007; root:xnu-792.18.15~1/RELEASE_I386
\*********
Now for the rant: I have had NO success in resolving this issue. I tried to email fusion_support AT xxxxx and it bounced. I tried to post to this forum but no one bothered to reply. Now I'm posting as a question. You would think that SOMEONE would care about the fact that Fusion causes a kernel panic that makes the system unusable upon reboot. Sorry to rant about this but this is a serious issue. And it's a shame since I have had nothing but excellent experiences with VMWare Server on Windows and VMWare Workstation on Windows. And my employer uses VMWare ESX for a variety of projects.
